The present invention relates to a lightweight, portable hunting blind that mounts to a tree stand for use as an elevated hunting blind or to ground stakes for use as a ground hunting blind.
Hunters and other wildlife observers conceal bodily movement from the vision of observant quarry, such as deer or turkey with a hunting blind. A typical hunting blind comprises a frame covered by concealment panels of a camouflage material. The pattern of the camouflage material is chosen to blend with the natural surroundings. Since the camouflage material is usually opaque or only slightly xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d (such as by leafy-shaped cut outs or patterns in a see-through material), a hunter can move within the enclosure created by the hunting blind without alerting nearby quarry to potential danger by reason of that movement.
A tree stand enhances a hunter""s field-of-view and reduces risk of detection by a game animal. A tree stand may be used to climb a tree, or is otherwise mounted thereon, and is thus temporarily attached to a trunk of a tree at a predetermined height above ground level. To further disguise presence in the tree stand from vigilant quarry, a hunter often wears clothing with a camouflage pattern that blends with the immediate surroundings. Although garbed in camouflage, the hunter normally remains in plain view while positioned in the tree stand. As a result, vigilant quarry can still detect the exposed movements by the hunter. If a tree stand also incorporates a hunting blind, the movements are consequently obscured. Therefore, the effectiveness of a tree stand is enhanced by the addition of a blind combined with it.
Several patents in the prior art disclose hunting blinds for use with a tree stand. However, each has certain inherent problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,512 to Bean discloses a hunting blind for use with a tree stand that employs a single panel that compieteiy wraps around the platform of the tree stand. The panel is mounted on a dual-beam base at a predetermined angle of inclination on rods received by pivoting sockets in close proximity to the platform. As disclosed, that hunting blind obstructs the near-field vision of the ground by the occupant and becomes totally ineffective for concealment when the occupant exposes his body to aim and fire his weapon.
It is thus desirable to provide a hunting blind for use with a tree stand which permits the size of the concealed enclosure and the orientation of the concealment panel(s) to be varied, allows an unobstructed line-of-sight for aiming and discharging a firearm or a bow while sustaining peripheral concealment, permits easy transport to the hunting site, and easily adapts to changing natural environments.
It is well-known to use a ground blind to artificially create a concealed position when a hunter hunts at ground level. Otherwise, the hunter must rely upon natural camouflage, such as bushes and high grass. However, ground blinds usually incorporate small flapped openings or the like through which the hunter must look to spot game and to fire his weapon.
It is desirable to provide a ground blind with open lines of sight for aiming and discharging a weapon, that allows the size of the concealed area to be varied with ease, that permits easy transport to the hunting site, and that easily adapts to changing natural environments.
It is a principle object of the present invention to provide an improved hunting or observation blind that may be attached to a tree stand or used in another application as a ground blind.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hunting blind that can be quickly and easily assembled without tools.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hunting blind that can be retrofitted on most commercial tree stands.
It is another object of the invention to provide a lightweight and compact hunting blind that is portable in the field.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hunting blind that conceals the occupant from lateral detection at all times but affords a substantially unobstructed frontal shooting lane.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hunting blind with concealment panels that can be reconfigured to match changing natural surroundings.
The present invention contemplates a portable hunting or observation blind that can be retrofitted to most commercial tree stands or adapted to create a ground blind, is easy to transport to and from the hunting site, and does not add significant weight to a tree stand. The portable hunting blind is modular, compact and easy to assemble and disassemble in the field.
When applied to use with a tree stand, the portable hunting blind according to the present invention generally includes a support base and at least one wing-shaped, or arched, concealment panel. Each concealment panel is removably and pivotally attached to the support base to create concealment for a hunter or observer. The support base generally includes at least a pair, if not more, of interconnected support beams which can be removably fastened to most commercial tree stands by means of any suitable fasteners, such as a plurality of reusable, flexible cable ties.
Extension arms are disposed in the free ends of each support beam. When an extension arm is extended, the corresponding support beam is lengthened. When an extension arm is retracted or removed, the footprint of the hunting blind is reduced to facilitate carrying, climbing, and hanging the hunting stand/tree blind combination in a tree.
Each concealment panel includes and is mounted to the support base by adjustable elbows disposed at the exposed, peripheral ends of the extension arms. As the elbow is bent through its range of motion, the occupant of the hunting blind can incline each wing-shaped concealment panel in an angular position relative to the horizontal plane formed by the support base.
Each concealment panel generally comprises a flexible, elongated support rod and a panel cover of concealment material preferably of a camouflage pattern of solid, opaque material, open weave or non-weave or cut out in a leafy or natural pattern. The support rod is preferably composed of segments of plastic composite tubing shock-corded together in known fashion and foldable to compact the overall length for carrying. Tube segments are joined via metal ferrules to create a single, flexible support rod.
Each panel cover includes a series of one or more sleeves, disposed about its periphery. A support rod is threaded through all, or less than all of the sleeves. Opposing ends of the support rod are disposed in the elbows, which are properly positioned to receive the support rod at the desired inclination and to define points of attachment to bend the rod into an arch shape. The combination of rod and covering in this way produces a wingshaped or inverted, U-shaped or arch-shaped or other shaped concealment panel.
In the preferred embodiment in combination with a tree stand, two concealment panels are removably attached to the support base at the peripheral end of each extension arm. An enclosure for an occupant is defined by the planes of the two adjustable concealment panels and the tree. The separation between the concealment panels is greater near the tree trunk to accommodate the observer""s body and narrows with increasing distance from the tree trunk. Between the two concealment panels, at their forward edges, an opening is formed which diverges upwardly as a result of their arched shape. This affords the occupant an unobstructed forward line of sight, yet limits the visibility of his motion from the ground, both from the sides and from the front.
Accessories are available to augment the functionality of the portable hunting blind. An optional front skirt can be fastened along the forward edges of two adjacent concealment panels to fill the front opening for yet further concealment. An optional gear pouch can be attached to a concealment panel to store miscellaneous supplies in an easily accessible position. An optional arrow clip can be attached to the gear pouch or an arrow quiver to a concealment panel to safely store hunting arrows for use.
The blind assembly of the invention has a dual use according to the invention. Optional ground stakes are used to convert the portable hunting blind from a tree blind to a ground blind. The ends of the support rods for the concealment panel are inserted into elbows oh the stakes and the blind assembly is thus effective to conceal the ground level hunter and at the same time is adjustable, as noted above.
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed written description thereof and from the drawings in which: